Strange Visitors
by Doctor Foster
Summary: Rita and Larry receive some very strange visitors from the Doom Patrol's past


15

"Strange Visitors"

Chapter 1

It was ten o'clock in the evening and Rita was already wearing her champagne coloured silk pyjamas. She was not however ready for sleep and had picked up a book as she had decided to read for a while in bed until she felt ready to turn out the lights. The book was …..

Rita had been reading for several minutes when she became aware of a faint crackling noise. It was loud enough for her to put down the book and wonder whether she had left something turned on in the kitchen or living room. Before she could move to investigate however, the crackling noise suddenly got much louder and was plainly originating in the bedroom as a mini-electrical storm appeared out of nowhere in the air above the foot of her bed.

Rita sat up in alarm as a figure materialized in the centre of the energy storm – a naked female form floated in the air. A woman with long red hair and eyes that seemed to be bursts of bright energy. Crackles of energy shot across the room from the ethereal female and struck the walls of the room. But no sooner had the mysterious figure appeared when she imploded into nothingness and the room was once more a haven of quiet repose.

Rita sat in her bed, slack-jawed in astonishment for a moment before she recovered enough to reach for her bedside phone. She phoned Larry.

"Larry. You're not gonna believe what I've just seen floating above my bed … a naked woman."

"Were you dreaming at the time because that sounds like the sort of dream that I have?"

"No, I was not dreaming."

"Okay, well in that case, I'm coming round to stay with you just in case it happens again."

"Larry, that's not necessary."

"No, it's quite alright. I insist."

"You're … incorrigible, do you know that?"

"Yes, it's one of my better qualities."

When Larry arrived, he insisted on checking over Rita's bedroom with great thoroughness.

"This is nice," he said examining a red dress in her walk-in dressing room. "I've never seen you wearing this."

"The figure appeared in my bedroom, not in there," Rita said pointedly.

"Just checking all eventualities," he replied. "And you say she had red hair?"

"Yes. Would that question have anything to do with your thoroughness?"

"Indeed it is. Have you checked the other rooms?"

Rita replied that she hadn't and then followed Larry who had already left her bedroom to check-out the other rooms. Larry's first port-of-call was Rita's guest bedroom which was next door to her own bedroom. He opened the door, switched on the light and, glancing inside, immediately stood to one side to allow Rita to see what he had found. "Is this normal?" he asked.

Rita gazed past Larry to see a room stacked with oil paintings, assorted oriental vases, rare leather-bound books, jewellery of every description and many other types of expensive trinket. "I hope this lot wasn't bought on your credit card?" he quipped.

Rita pushed past him to look more closely at the contents of the room. Every flat surface including the floor was filled with objects of every description. It was a veritable Aladdin's cave of treasure. "I've never seen this stuff before! I never bought this!" she exclaimed.

"Okay," Larry said. "Now let's say that I believe you … How did it get here?"

"I don't know!"

"When was the last time you checked this room?"

"Several days ago, I hardly ever come in here," she replied.

"Do you think that the ghost that Merlin exorcised from you could have been responsible for this?" Larry asked.

Rita shrugged her shoulders as she was unable to comment further.

All thoughts of the loot-filled room disappeared when the crackling of electrical energy announced the reappearance of the naked woman. This time, she appeared in the centre of the room and as soon as she appeared, the thin tendrils shot forward to connect with Larry and Rita. The connection momentarily stunned them both and they fell to the ground as the mysterious woman floated to the floor to stand between them. A powerful telepathic message was transmitted through the tendrils to Larry and Rita: "Take off your clothes, take off your wrappings, Hold me; touch me." They could not resist.

As the strange woman walked out of the room, Larry and Rita grabbed at their clothing and quickly undressed. Larry had no time to even start removing his protective bandages before Rita was on him and covering him with kisses. They rolled on the floor consumed by their over-riding passion for each other. And then, after just a few moments the passion subsided as quickly as it had come and they lie there looking at each other in puzzlement and embarrassment.

"What just happened?" Larry asked.

"I couldn't help myself," Rita replied.

"Neither could I."

"It was that woman." Rita looked to see where the woman had gone.

"The naked woman with the red-hair," Larry said following Rita's gaze.

Rita snatched up her clothes and quickly dressed. She then scampered out of the room in pursuit of the ghost-woman. Larry followed suit, as quickly as he was able.

Rita found the naked woman in the living room, floating in the air above the sofa. Tendrils sparked purple energy as they gently swayed to and fro across the room. The woman was only half-watching as Rita and then Larry appeared for her attention seemed to wander across her surroundings.

"What's she doing?" Larry asked.

"She's just floating there," Rita answered.

"It's like something from _Ghostbusters 3_," Larry quipped.

Rita addressed the ghost: "Who are you?"

With difficulty, the strange woman focussed her attention on Rita. "My name is Alice," she said her voice crackling with electricity.

Rita then said: "Alice, what are you doing here?"

"I am looking for Niles. Do you know where he is?"

"Niles Caulder? Are you looking for Niles Caulder?" Rita replied with urgency.

"Yes," Alice said. "We were together and now we are apart. I have lost him! You must help me find him!"

In response to Alice's reply, Rita and Larry just exchanged looks. "Alice… Niles Caulder is dead," Rita explained.

"Yes, I know," Alice replied. "You must help me find him."

"Alice, who are you?" Rita asked.

"And do you have a boyfriend?" Larry added. He then received an elbow in the side from Rita.

"They call me Alice Wired-for-Sound but my real name is Jones, Alice Jones."

"Who are _they,_ Alice?"

"The others … in the Doom Patrol."

This was new information for Larry and Rita. "So you were in the Doom Patrol?" Rita queried.

Larry turned to Rita and whispered. "It must have been when we were … dead?"

"Yes… I was in the Doom Patrol with Niles, and Cliff and Kate and the others… It was when you were both dead," Alice replied.

"Told you," Larry said.

"But Niles is dead," Rita answered. "How can we help you to find him?"

"You have both died but now you're alive. I died and now I'm alive. We have all died … and Niles has died … And now he must live. Do you know where he is?"

"No, Alice. We don't know where he is?"

"Then I will ask Cliff."

The crackle of energy within the room that emanated from Alice suddenly increased to culminate in an implosion that announced that Alice had gone.

Larry and Rita just looked at each other. "She knows Cliff's whereabouts?" Rita said.

"I'm presuming she meant Cliff _Steele_ and not some other _Cliff_? We really must check out the history of this group of ours. I'd never heard of this Alice!"

"H'mm, neither had I." But then a thought troubled Rita. "You don't think she was lying, do you?"

"Who's to know?" Larry replied.

"Cliff, I suppose."

"And we don't know whether he's alive or dead."

"Perhaps Alice will tell us?"

"Well, in the meantime, we should do something about this treasure-room that you've suddenly acquired," Larry suggested.

The Police were called and they made an inventory of everything in Rita's guest-room. Initial enquiries however, indicated that none of the items had been recorded as stolen. Indeed, no record of several of the paintings seemed to exist even though the workmanship could be directly attributed to known artists. The Police decided that as no crime seemed to have been committed they left the 'treasure' in Rita's possession while she pursued further enquiries privately concerning its ownership.

That evening, while Rita was alone in her apartment the sound of crackling electricity alerted her to the impending return of Alice Wired-for-Sound.

She appeared floating in the air in the centre of the room. Her nakedness was now hidden behind an opaque banding of energy that shifted across her body. Alice's tendrils reached out towards Rita but she was able to shrink out of their way and thereby avoid their touch.

"Alice, did you speak to Cliff Steele?" Rita asked.

"I could not find him," Alice replied. Her voice was tinged with a forlorn sadness that seemed so contrived that Rita wondered whether it was indeed genuine. Alice continued: "He wasn't anywhere that I could reach." She then slowly stepped down towards the ground to pause before Rita. "I have a message for you from the General."

"The General?"

"Yes. He told me to tell you that he is coming!"

"When you say the General, do you mean Immortus?"

"Yes, that is his name. I filled him so full of love that when he comes, he will bring love and nothing else."

"You can do that? You can alter people so that they feel love instead of some other emotion?"

"I can change all emotions. I can change indifference to love. I can change love to hate and can change hate to love!"

"That's quite something," Rita said. "But turning to other matters, what about your appearance?

"My appearance?"

"Yes, do you have anything to wear?"

"I do not need clothes, not anymore."

"But you used to wear clothes?"

"Yes."

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but I think that you should start wearing them again especially if you're going to be around Larry … And men, generally."

"I can cover myself, if I want."

"Yes, I know but it's not a very substantial covering, is it? And I think that modesty is very becoming in today's woman, don't you agree?"

Chapter 2

It was four o'clock in the morning and Larry was still awake. In fact, he had not even considered the possibility of sleep. Instead, he was lethargically wandering from room to room in his apartment, stopping sometimes to watch an old black-and-white film on the television and occasionally stopping at the window to watch for signs of the dawn. He was dressed in his habitual old dressing-gown and carrying a bottle of beer from which he took an occasional sip with the aid of a straw.

He wondered whether Rita was awake for he knew that she too often had trouble sleeping at night. It crossed his mind to send Negative Man to check out that possibility but then his mind wandered on to consider the whereabouts of Cliff. Their recent encounter with that weird ex-Doom Patroller called Alice had turned his mind to thoughts of restarting his search for their one-time colleague. Alice was intended to go off in search for him. That indicated to Larry that Cliff was still to be found someplace but where? Larry had spent a considerable amount of his own time sending the Negative Man off in search for the elusive Clifford Steele but without any success. Could Alice be more successful? He hoped so. Steele was, without doubt, the best friend that Larry had ever had, apart from Rita, of course.

And now he was thinking about Rita again. He sat in his armchair in front of the television and sent the Negative Man to check on Rita.

Within seconds the black energy version of Larry Trainor stood in Rita's apartment on the other side of the city. He paused momentarily in Rita's bedroom but she was not there. He then passed through the entire apartment and found her asleep in the bath. He did not like the idea of spying on Rita but, at the same time, he was relieved that she was safe. He could stand the thought of most things, including his own death, but he was filled with dread at the thought of losing Rita again.

Goodness knows what she would say or do if she found out that he very occasionally watched over her in such a fashion.

Content to find that Rita was resting Larry directed the Negative Man to return to his body. He returned to consciousness, but was surprised to find that he was not in the same physical position as when Negative Man had left him. He was no longer sitting in his armchair in front of the TV set. Instead, Larry was on his hands and knees facing the armchair. He raised his head to see that someone else was now sitting where he had been less than a minute previously.

"Eleanor?" Larry gazed in wonder at Doctor Eleanor Poole who was now sitting directly in front of him.

"Hello, Larry," she replied, smiling. "Have you missed me?"

Larry was so disorientated by Doctor Poole's unexpected appearance in his apartment that he was unable to reply immediately.

Poole continued: "I've missed you in oh so many ways…" she said with lascivious glee. She then eased herself forward in the chair towards Larry and unashamedly opened her knees to reveal her sex.

Larry managed a strangled: "What…?"

"We should be together, you and I," she replied, "and this time, it should be for ever!"

Larry backed away from Poole but his movements were enormously difficult and laboured. It was as if gravity was having a much greater effect on his body than was normal. This condition though, did not seem to affect Doctor Poole for she stood up and reached out towards Larry catching hold of him with both arms. "We must be together again, Larry. You cannot resist me!"

In his efforts to pull free and escape from Poole, the Negative Man seeped out through Larry's body and encased him in its unique energy field. As soon as that had happened, Larry was able to throw off Poole's grip on his arms and stand up.

"How did you get in here, Eleanor?" he demanded. "I won't allow Rebis to return."

"It is not your choice," Poole screamed in reply. "Rebis returns when I say so, not you!"

Faced with such fury, Larry reached out and blasted Poole across the room by releasing a fraction of his negative energy. "That's a very strong attitude, Eleanor. I cannot support it!"

"You shouldn't have done that," Poole replied returning to her feet. "Now you leave me with no choice."

She remained where she stood but braced herself as if something were about to hit her. Puzzled, Larry just watched but then he felt an invisible force tugging at him, pulling him towards Poole. He resisted the inexplicable force but a small amount of his negative energy leaked across the room from him to her. As it struck her, Poole screamed out, "Yes! That's all I need!"

Larry watched then as Poole's appearance morphed into that of Rebis – complete with sunglasses, bandages and a dark-green rain coat.

"I told you I'd be back," Rebis explained.

"I used to dress like that?" Larry quipped in surprise. "No wonder I needed psychiatric help!"

"That's funny Larry. You're a funny guy."

"Yep, that's what they call me, 'Funny Larry'."

"Well laugh about this!" Rebis then unleashed a burst of energy sending Larry crashing backwards into the wall. "Let's see if you find your next visitor as funny as me!"

With that, Rebis disappeared and all was still once more in the apartment. Larry got to his feet and replaced his armchair back in its place in front of the television set. He checked the other room but there was no sign of Rebis. She had gone without leaving any trace of her being there.

Larry phoned Rita. "Talking about strange things," was his opening comment. "I've just had a visit from an old friend of mine."

"Larry, it's half-past-four-in-the-morning."

"Oh, sorry, were you sleeping?"

"No."

"Okay, so… "He then went on to explain about Eleanor Poole appearing and then how she had left him as Rebis.

"That is strange," Rita replied. "I'm coming over."

"You'll never get a cab at this time of night."

"Don't need one. I'll see you in a moment."

As Larry still held on to the telephone handset, a crackling of energy announced the impending appearance of Alice Wired-for-Sound. She was not alone however for Rita also appeared with her. The two women were holding hands. Larry noticed them right away and had to comment: "Since when have you two been going out together?"

Rita immediately let go of Alice's hand. "Alice is a teleporter but she has to be in contact with whomever she teleports."

Larry replaced the telephone handset onto its receiver. "And Alice, you're wearing clothes."

"Yes, Rita insisted," Alice replied.

"But not any underwear," Rita added. "So Larry, I'd appreciate it if you would please bear that in mind…"

"Really? I can honestly say that I'm very glad you told me that Rita and I can assure you that it'll remain on my mind for quite some time to come!"

"That's not what I meant!" Rita hastily added.

"But that's the way the buttered toast has fallen."

"Can we please change the subject?"

"I'm not sure; can you?"

"Larry, concentrate!"

Larry took Rita to one side while Alice sauntered around Larry's apartment. Alice spent her time looking at the ordinary things that she found there with huge interest. It was as if she were experiencing such mundane things as books, a wall-clock, crockery, but for the first time.

Larry and Rita watched Alice for a few moments before Larry commented quietly: "It is strange, don't you think, the people from our past mysteriously reappearing all-of-a-sudden?"

"Our past?"

"Well, the Doom Patrol's past: Alice, Eleanor Poole…"

"You don't think it's a coincidence then?

"No, I do not," Larry replied. "It makes me wonder as to 'who's going to appear next'?"

"As long as it's not my 'ex'," Rita hissed.

"Anyway…" Larry tried changing the subject and turned to the other woman: "Alice, the last time we met you said you were going after the Chief and Cliff… What happened?"

Alice put down one of Larry's books and moved towards him. It seemed that she was about to confide a great secret. "I could not find him," she replied."

"Where did you look?" he asked.

"In all the places he had lived," she answered.

"Perhaps he is someplace new?"

"Perhaps… If that were the case then I may never find him!"

"That's right," Larry agreed nodding sagely. "And what about Cliff Steele: any luck there?"

"No. No luck there either," Alice explained sadly.

Later when Rita had returned home…

Rita opened the door to her apartment and dropped her front-door key into a wooden bowl on the small side table near the door. She then took off her coat and eased off her boots leaving them by the table in the corridor. Before she even knew what was happening, a pink tendril appeared from nowhere and wound itself many times around her legs and body. A misshapen head then wound into view and spoke to Rita:

"_Bonjour_, Rita. It has been a long time, no?"

The face took on the recognisable shape of Madame Rouge.

"You? Monster! You're dead!"

"Am I?" Rouge replied with false-surprise.

"Yes. This is a dream or something much worse…?"

"_Oui_. This is something far worse," Rouge replied.

"You are dead!" Rita expanded the size of her body but Madame Rouge's constricting tendril-like limbs had such a hold on Rita that she was unable to grow big enough without choking and losing consciousness.

"_Non, non, ma chere_. I 'ave you now."

Just as Rita was struggling to breathe, a crackling of electricity in the room announced that Alice was about to make another appearance. Sure enough, Alice suddenly appeared floating in the middle of the living-room and her wire-like tendrils extended out to, first of all, brush the walls and then to make contact with Madame Rouge. At once, Rouge reacted with alarm but she was unable to escape from Alice's touch.

"Fill your heart with love, not war," Alice announced dreamily.

Rouge immediately relaxed her grip and retracted her limbs from around Rita and she now more closely resembled a 'normal' human being in appearance. Alice maintained her tendrils contact with Rouge as she stepped down to the floor.

Rita slowly got to her feet and thanked Alice.

"She is an angry soul," Alice observed.

Rita agreed. "Yes, though she's one that has returned from Hell."

Madame Rouge stood quietly and meekly waiting for Alice or Rita to tell her what she had to do. Alice seemed oblivious to the predicament as to what they should do with Rouge. Rita though, was giving it her full attention: "We can't turn her over to the Police, after all, she's dead…!"

"Is she?" Alice queried. "Is she dead?"

Rita was stumped by that idea. She turned to Rouge: "Are you dead and if you are dead, are you a spirit, or what, as you seem pretty solid to me?"

Rouge looked at Rita in bewilderment. "I exist therefore I am alive!"

Rita sighed. "There are times when I wish Caulder were here. He always seemed to have an answer for such philosophic questions."

"Niles is a River of Knowledge," Alice said wistfully before adding: "The longest river in the world."

Larry stood at Rita's side and looked with displeasure at Madame Rouge. The French-woman was sitting quietly on an armchair in Rita's living room – still clearly under the influence of Alice's power.

"I thought she was dead," Larry whispered to Rita.

"So did I," Rita sighed in reply.

"She doesn't look dead," Larry added.

"No, she doesn't… Why are you whispering?"

Alice suddenly emerged from Rita's bedroom. She was wearing one of Rita's spare uniforms from her early days in the Doom Patrol – one of the green outfits with the brown leather belt and boots.

"Now I look just like you!" Alice announced. "Everyone will know that I am back in the Doom Patrol."

"Back…?" Larry turned to Rita in surprise. "Is Alice joining our duo? Is our duo now a trio?"

Rita was equally surprised by Alice's announcement. "Well … I don't know. We haven't really discussed that yet, Alice."

"Oh, you don't want me?"

"We didn't say that… it's just that…" Larry was struggling to find a sufficiently polite reply so decided to hand over the end of his unfinished sentence: "Rita?"

"Well … Alice … I can honestly say that you are at the top of our list of potential members for the reformed Doom Patrol."

"I agree," Larry added firmly.

"Oh, that's nice," Alice replied cheerfully.

"And you look very nice in my spare outfit," Rita confirmed.

"I agree," Larry added before turning back to Rita: "Alice mentioned 'The General', do you think he's behind all these strange appearances?" He indicated Madame Rouge with a jerk of his head.

Rita considered Larry's suggestion for a second. "Alice, tell us about the General."

Alice looked puzzled. "Which General?"

"How many Generals do you know?" Larry chirped.

"Immortus, General Immortus," Rita insisted.

"I don't know any Generals or anyone called Immortus."

"But you told me that The General had a message for me and that '_he was coming_'!"

"Did I? I don't remember…"

"And you said that you had _'filled him with love so that when he came he would bring love not war'_."

"That sounds like me…"

Larry interrupted: "We're wasting our time. Why don't we get in touch with that Merlin character? He seemed to know his way round ghosts and the like."

"Yes, but are they ghosts? I'm not sure that they are. Rouge looks pretty solid to me!"

"Rouge," Larry suddenly turned back to the seated French-woman. "Where were you before you turned up in Rita's apartment?"

"Before?" Rouge replied, puzzled. "I was… I was… _je ne comprends pas_. I … I … I … Rouge's body began to twitch and then to shake violently until she was shaken by such a spasm of pain that she fell to the floor. Larry and Rita looked on helpless as Alice reached forward to touch her with her tendrils.

"Such pain," Alice announced as she too was caught up in the spasm. This was followed by a blinding light and both Alice and Rouge suddenly disappeared.

Chapter 3: "Here Today … Gone Tomorrow"

Larry arrived back at his own flat and threw his door-key into a small wooden bowl that was on a side-table next to the door. As he did so, he was hit by the sound of a shrill and demanding voice: "Where have you been?"

Immediately, Larry turned ready for anything, but was greeted by the sight of Enid Bassett, standing in the doorway to Larry's bedroom.

"Oh, it's only you," Larry said relaxing.

"Charming! What do you mean 'only you'?" Enid replied.

"I've had one of those nights, that's all. It wasn't a personal comment."

Larry collapsed into his armchair facing the TV set. He reached for the remote-control and turned the set on. An old black-and-white movie was showing: "Ahhh… Jimmy Stewart! I love Jimmy Stewart movies."

"Don't try and change the subject," Enid snapped. "You've been with Rita, haven't you?"

Larry snapped back: "Hey, look at the way I'm dressed. I'm in costume… Of course I've been with Rita!"

Enid crouched down by the side of Larry's chair and placed her hands on Larry's arm. "Don't be annoyed, Larry."

"I'm not annoyed," he answered calmly.

"I don't want you to see Rita, anymore, alright?"

"Alright, I won't see Rita anymore," Larry replied.

"Good," Rita confirmed. "Now, say it again: You won't see Rita ever again."

"I won't see Rita ever again."

She stroked his bandaged face and then climbed onto his lap where she made herself comfortable inside his comforting embrace. They then watched the rest of the film, _Harvey_, until they fell asleep together still sitting in the chair.

While they both slept soundly, a small crackle of energy in the corner of the room went unnoticed. The crackle then grew into a sizzle which heralded a narrow crack that suddenly appeared in the fabric of space-time. A figure stepped through the crack and stood behind the chair in which Larry and Enid slept undisturbed and unaware that anything strange was happening in their immediate vicinity.

"Oh, sweet," the figure whispered before placing both hands on the back of the chair on either side of Larry's head.

Later that morning: Larry woke first and immediately voiced his complaint: "Ah, my neck!" Disturbed by his movement, Enid awoke and kissed Larry briefly on his bandaged cheek before getting up from his lap. "Did you sleep awkwardly," she asked. "I slept like a log." She stretched as she padded off towards the kitchen. "I'll make tea," she announced not looking back at Larry.

Larry was now standing. "Something's happened," he said. "I feel different." He studied his arms as if he was looking for the difference that he could 'feel'.

"Is that different good or different bad?" Enid asked still busy with the task of making tea.

"I'm not sure," Larry replied continuing to examine his bandaged hands. "Different good, I think."

"That's good then!" Enid shouted encouragingly.

"Yes," he added although he was not altogether convinced by his own words.

He continued to study his hands for a moment before rushing off to the bathroom. He then locked the door and looked at himself closely in the bathroom mirror. He was used to the reflection of his bandaged features but there was definitely something different about the way that he felt. He quickly loosened and dropped all of his clothing to the floor and then began to slowly undo the bandages. First of all, he uncovered his left hand. His skin was very pale and white – after all it hadn't felt the burning rays of the sun for more years than Larry would care to imagine – but now he could actually see the skin. It wasn't transparent and revealing the eerie glowing green bone underneath. In a flurry of haste, he continued unwrapping all of the bandages until they all lie in a heap on the bathroom-floor. He then gazed in wonder at what he saw in the mirror.

Larry opened the bathroom door and stepped into the living room. "Enid!" he shouted excitedly at the top of his voice.

At that very moment, Enid had finished making them each a cup of tea and was carrying the two mugs back into the living room. She looked up just as Larry shouted her name. And faced by a pale-skinned, naked man that she had never seen before, she reacted – as might be expected - by dropping the mugs and exclaiming loudly with a short word of Anglo-Saxon origins.

"Enid, it's me!" the naked man explained. "Larry! … The Negative Man has gone! I'm normal, again!"

Minutes later, after Larry had stopped hugging Enid, he put on his dressing-gown and Enid picked up the mugs off the carpet – the additional stain from the fallen tea now thoroughly mixed in with all the other stains on the old carpet.

Enid kept glancing at Larry as if she could not quite believe her eyes. "Larry, when were you ever 'normal'?"

Larry's spirits were so high, he did not notice Enid's joke at his expense. "This is how I looked up to 1963!"

"But how…? What's happened to make it go away?"

"I don't know. It left me once before and went to a woman, a Russian woman, Valentina Vostok… I wonder…? But I was dead then?"

"Dead?" Enid queried.

"Yes, I wonder if …?" He looked at his body with macabre interest.

Enid immediately put him straight: "Larry, you are not dead!"

"Good… But, perhaps… Valentina…"

"Do you think…?" Enid asked

"I'm wondering…"

"Can you check…?"

"I don't have her phone number."

"Rita…?"

"I don't even know if she's still alive…?"

"I don't know!"

"I don't know."

"Do you think…?"

"I'm wondering…"

It turned out that no-one amongst Larry's small circle of friends and acquaintances knew anything of the current whereabouts of the one-time Doom Patrol member, Valentina Vostok.

"It seems that all old Doom Patrollers disappear off the face of the Earth once they leave active membership," Larry mused.

"But does it matter where the Negative Man has gone? Surely, all that matters is that it is gone and that you can live a normal life again?"

"Yes, I suppose."

Enid reached out and caught hold of Larry's hand. "And Larry, from now on it will be Larry and Enid. You do not want to see Rita anymore."

Larry looked at Enid. "I'm not cutting out Rita, if that's what you mean?"

Enid was stunned for a moment. "You won't?" His reaction was not what she had expected.

"No, I won't do it."

"Alright," Enid blustered unable to conceal her complete and utter surprise in Larry not obeying her wish. She touched his hand again. "Larry, kiss me," she said.

Larry looked at Enid, shrugged and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Not like that," she complained. "I want a proper kiss, one with passion." He looked at her again: "What's with you?"

Enid was now totally flustered. It seemed that Larry wasn't the only one who had lost a super-power. Her secret ability had also 'gone' but she could not reveal that to Larry. After all, he didn't know that she had a 'power' in the first place. There was only one person with whom she could talk this through. But first of all, she would have to settle Larry's mind:

"Nothing is with me," she replied. "I just wanted you to know that I am so pleased that you are able to live a normal life again."

"Yes. Thank goodness for that!" Larry then went off to the bedroom before announcing: "I'm going to get dressed and go out! I'm gonna enjoy the sun on my skin! You wanna come with me?"

"I can't, this time, "Enid called. "I just remembered that I have to see Johnny, but we can do it another time?"

So saying, Enid headed for the apartment door in search of her one-time boyfriend, Johnny Drake.

Larry looked out into the living room: "Hey that's good! Say 'hello' from me!" He was wearing a brightly coloured short sleeved shirt and nothing else. "Enid … Enid…? Have you gone already?" He then looked at the shirt he was wearing before announcing for his own benefit: "No, this won't do!"

Drake was in a friend's apartment in one of the less salubrious areas of the city. He was sprawled across a tattered sofa with a heavily tattooed dark-haired young woman in the throws of an extremely passionate embrace when his mobile phone rang. Initially, he ignored it but the constant ringing snagged at his attention. He hesitated.

"Oh, leave it," the young woman implored.

"But it keeps ringing. It might be important." Johnny reached towards the phone that was in the pocket of his jeans that had been discarded and now lie on the floor of the apartment.

"No, Steve, don't!"

"My name's Johnny, not Steve!" he explained as he glanced at the incoming phone number. He did not recognise the number but flicked the phone open anyway to make the connection. "Hallo!"

"Johnny, it's me, Enid."

"Oh…" he replied, unable to hide his annoyance. "Whose phone have you got? I didn't recognise your number."

"Would you have answered if you had known it was me?"

"Probably not …"

"It's Trainor's."

"Ah, the 'Return of the Mummy': how is he?"

"He's okay… I need to see you!"

The tattooed girl was getting bored: "Steve, Steve… I need you!"

"Who's that and who's Steve?" Enid asked.

"She's just a friend. And I'm Steve, apparently!"

"Not a close friend, then?"

"No, she's not." Johnny glanced at the tattooed girl who was removing her tee-shirt to reveal even more tattooed flesh.

"I'm not, what?" she asked throwing her discarded tee-shirt towards Johnny.

"So … I need to see you … now," Enid insisted.

"Where to?"

"Our café."

"When?"

"Now."

"Alright."

Johnny closed his phone and turned back to the tattooed girl. "My name is Johnny, not Steve," he said stepping towards her.

"I like Steve … It suits you," she said reaching out and pulling him back down on top of her.

Enid was already sitting at a table in the small café when Johnny arrived.

"What kept you?" she asked.

"Need you ask?" Johnny replied sliding into the seat opposite her.

"You are such a … slut," Enid curled her lip as she replied.

"Yeah, well …" He caught the waitress' eye and indicated that he'd like a cup of coffee. The waitress responded immediately by bringing him a cup and filling it with a warm black liquid that some people might describe as coffee.

"It takes one to know one, etcetera … Anyway, I'm here, aren't I? What do you want, Enid?"

"Johnny, you're the only one who knows about my ability," she said.

"Yeah!" Johnny straightened up from his slouched position as Enid became animated and reached out towards him. "So keep your hands under control, where I can see them, and on your side of the table!"

"That's just it. It's gone," she explained.

"What's gone?"

"My power."

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"I woke up this morning and it's gone, I don't have it anymore!"

"Oh … How do you know?"

"I tried it out on Larry and he didn't do as I asked!"

Johnny snarled: "Maybe he's become immune as you 'touch' him so much?"

"No, it's not just him. I tried it out on the way over here. I touched a woman's hand and asked her for ten dollars. She refused."

Johnny smiled. "Oh dear. Now isn't that a shame?"

"Well?"

"Well what?" Johnny laughed.

"What about you? Can you still …?"

"I don't know. I don't go around flashing my super-power."

"Well try now," Enid insisted. "For me … I need to know whether this … whatever … has just affected me?"

"Or me as well?"

"Exactly!"

Johnny shrugged his shoulders and twisting around in his seat, looked around the café to see who-and-how-many people were close-by. He then turned back to Enid. "All right," he said.

Enid watched him expectantly as he clenched his right fist. After a moment's concentration his face showed the strain of his effort.

"Nothing's happening," he admitted.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" He relaxed and breathing heavily he glared at Enid. "Our powers have worn off!"

"Damn it!" Enid thumped the table with her fist. "I knew I should have done more while I had the chance!"

"Taken more?" Johnny asked.

Enid got to her feet. "I hope you're happy now?"

"I'm not unhappy," Johnny replied, smiling.

She stormed out of the café leaving Johnny to enjoy his coffee in peace. It had cooled by now but Johnny warmed it up with a touch of his hand. "That's much better," he said to himself, smiling.

There was a knock on Rita's apartment door and as Larry's imminent arrival had been fore-warned by the building's concierge service, she opened the door to her apartment with no expectation other then she would see her bandaged buddy. However, the man she faced was a handsome, immaculately dressed man that she did not recognise. Rita smiled politely and looked past the shoulder of this stranger who stood on her threshold. "I'm sorry," she said politely, "but I was expecting a friend."

"I know," the handsome man replied. "I am that friend."

"Excuse me?" Rita replied, puzzled.

"It's me, Rita," the man explained. He brought forth a bunch of flowers from behind his back and held them out towards her. "The Negative Man has gone. It's me, Larry."

Rita gazed in astonishment at Larry. She had only ever seen his face in old photographs dating from before she had known him and it took her more than a few moments to realize that she was indeed looking at the face of her friend, Larry Trainor.

He then took a few minutes to explain what had happened but this did nothing to hold back Rita's questions: "How has this happened? Why did you bring me flowers? Where did you get those clothes? I had never realized that your eyes were blue and your hair was grey? Larry, why are you wearing a suit?"

Larry ignored all of Rita's questions. "Rita. I need to do something that I have wanted to do for a very long time."

"What's that?"

Tentatively, he reached out and picked up her hand. "I want to touch your hand."

"Oh, Larry," Rita replied, overcome with emotion.

He then leant in to her and kissed her gently on the lips. Rita did not move for a moment but then backed away and got to her feet.

"I'm sorry," Larry admitted. "I wanted to do that as well."

"Larry … It's hard for me to take all this in!"

"I know. It's just that … I need to do this, just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

"Just in case the Negative Man returns and I have to wear bandages again."

Rita thought about that for an instant and then stepped towards Larry and kissed him tenderly on the mouth.


End file.
